Gray Hairs
by Luddles
Summary: Genesis was dying and so was he. And all he could do was laugh, because he knew that Genesis would never want to die with gray hair.  Humor-turned-angst one-shot about Genesis, Angeal, and degradation. No pairings


**Disclaimer: …disclaimed. Again.**

**A/N: This starts off funny, I swear. I really have no idea where the angst came from. It's so weird. Stupid angst, popping up in funny things!**

**Gray Hairs**

"ANGEAL!" The shout was so shrill that Angeal was certain bats could have heard it.

"What is it, Genesis?" he sighed, standing up from his chair and rubbing his beard absent-mindedly as he lumbered off to the bathroom, where the source of the screaming was. "You had better be clothed…"

Angeal poked his head in the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe. Genesis was indeed clothed, in his black sleeveless tank top and matching pants, no shoes, and no red coat to be seen. His best friend was gripping the edge of the sink, leaning in to look at the mirror, his wide blue eyes darting back and forth across his reflection. He looked terrified, biting his lower lip and narrowing his eyebrows. "'Sup?" Angeal asked casually, folding his arms and assuming Genesis was being his usual melodramatic self.

"Don't you ''sup' me! I can't _believe_ this!" Genesis was still in hysterics, screaming at a decibel quite likely able to blow out a lesser man's eardrums.

"What's wrong with you?"

Genesis reached up and grasped one of his hairs between his fingers. "It's gray," he breathed, his voice shaky but back to a tolerable octave.

"So? I have gray hairs too," Angeal replied. He mentally noted that his own gray hairs could have been likely attributed to far too much contact with his hyperactive puppy of an apprentice.

"You don't _understand_, Angeal; my hair is my favorite thing about myself! Well… one of my favorite things."

He was whining now, and Angeal groaned. Dealing with a whiny Genesis was almost worse than dealing with a shrieking Genesis. "Good to know you've got at least some amount of self-esteem," he said.

Genesis half-sighed, half-whined, twisting his once-red hair around his fingertip. "Ugh, Ang', I swear I'm getting old…"

"Hey, Seph's hair has been gray since we met him," Angeal pointed out, grinning at Genesis.

"That's _silver_. And anyway, it looks good on him," Genesis shot back.

"And it doesn't look good on me?" Angeal asked, feigning offense.

"I don't care how _you_ look, the problem is _me_," Genesis replied, frowning as he examined the rest of his head for any signs of less than flaming-red hair. "And before you suggest it, I'm not dyeing it."

"Wasn't gonna," Angeal retorted. "Gen, I'm sorry your hair is turning gray."

"Me too," Genesis muttered under his breath. After having decided that only one of his hairs was graying, he ran his fingertips through his hair, shaking it back into his customary style. "I just can't believe it's happening so early…"

"Mm. Kind of weird if you ask me. But come on, Gen, don't worry about it," Angeal reassured his friend, patting Genesis on the shoulder comfortingly. Genesis smirked weakly, and followed Angeal out of the bathroom and onward to work.

VIIVIIVII

Months later, Genesis would run into Angeal's apartment, face white as a sheet, and collapse onto Angeal's lap in tears, choking out that he was degrading, going to die, and Angeal was too. Angeal just held the redhead as he cried, shocked beyond belief. He was astonished that the gray hair Genesis had thrown a fit about discovering had not just been a gray hair, but a sign of a malignancy much deeper inside. Genesis was dying and so was he. And all he could do was laugh, because he knew that Genesis would never want to die with gray hair.

VIIVIIVII

In the coming weeks, Genesis and Angeal found more and more gray hairs streaking through their respective fiery red and coal black. At first, Genesis did what he said he would never do and dyed his hair back to its original crimson hue. Even so, it never looked quite the same. And when Genesis's skin started to turn the dead, gray shade as his hair, he stopped attempting to dye it back altogether.

The degradation was taking its toll on more than just Genesis's hair color. Angeal quickly noticed that, while still one of the most powerful warriors he had ever fought, Genesis was not up to par with his usual standards. Genesis began realizing it himself, and stopped sparring with Sephiroth and Angeal altogether. He stayed away from Sephiroth especially, so that the General would not notice his dysfunction. Angeal was not sure why they never told Sephiroth. It was just an unspoken pact between the two that they wouldn't.

Angeal knew that Sephiroth had to be suspicious. Genesis was degrading very quickly, much more so than he, and it was becoming quite obvious. The redhead's eyes were even becoming duller, and they were beginning to remind Angeal of the deep green that Genesis's eyes had been before Mako energy had tainted them a vivid blue. For the first time in his life, Angeal was at a complete loss as to what Genesis was thinking. Genesis seemed torn up inside, like at any moment, the restraints he had put on his mind and his mouth would break, and everything would come spilling out.

VIIVIIVII

And one day, it did.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"Genesis, you don't have to…"

"Yes I do! Angeal, I'm tired of this! Of all those scientists trying and failing time and time again to cure us and always failing. I know there's a way to do this that they're not telling me and I am going to go out there and find it myself. Even if it means deserting SOLDIER."

Angeal folded his arms and glared at his friend. "Even if it means deserting me?"

"No. You're coming with me, right?"

"Gen, you know I can't leave Zack."

"Oh, so you care more about him than me? Is that it?" Genesis raged, tossing his head and throwing his cloak over his shoulders as he stalked off towards the door. "I should think you'd put your best friend before him."

Angeal lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Genesis."

"…Me too."


End file.
